


Playing House

by Orithain, Rina9294



Series: Games [17]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, Futurefic, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-26
Updated: 2003-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-01 10:42:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/355745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orithain/pseuds/Orithain, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina9294/pseuds/Rina9294
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark and Lex move in together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing House

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in the summer after Clark's freshman and at the very start of his sophomore years of college. Beta by Henry Jones, Jr. and Desi.

May 2006 

"You want to do what?" Jonathan all but roared, staring at his son in disbelief while Lex cringed and even Sheri ducked under the table. 

Afraid to look at Martha Kent for her reaction, Lex concentrated on his lover's father, dismayed by his reaction to Clark's announcement that he was going to move in with Lex rather than living on campus next year. He'd thought the Kents accepted his and Clark's relationship, but this was unexpected. 

Trying to avoid looking at Jonathan and letting him see how much that reaction had hurt, Lex looked around the Kents' kitchen, remembering more pleasant times in this very spot over the years. All four of them sitting together around the table, the remnants of Sunday brunch still lying in front of them, was a familiar scene and one that calmed Lex. 

"You're only nineteen, Clark! Much too young to be living with someone," Jonathan continued somewhat more calmly. 

"You aren't serious, right?" Clark asked, staring wide-eyed at his father, then shifting his gaze to his mother. "Mom? Dad's kidding, right? I mean it's not like the situation's normal anyway." 

Not wanting to argue with Jonathan in front of the boys, Martha rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Jonathan, maybe if you explained why you feel the way you do?" 

"Why? God, Martha, you have to ask?" Jonathan turned back to the boys, pausing when he saw Lex's expression--or rather lack of one. "Oh, Lex, you know I don't mean it like that. It's just that these are the years when a man should be free to have fun without responsibilities. Living with someone is one hell of a responsibility!" 

Lex sighed, staring at the weave of his pants as if it held the secrets of the universe. "You can't think that where we live is going to make any real difference? Clark and I have been in a serious relationship for four years. That's not going to change because he lives on campus. It's just making us both irritable because we have to spend time going back and forth instead of being together." 

All his life, Jonathan had been telling Clark that he had to take responsibility, and it took all his willpower not to throw Jonathan's words back in his face. This turnaround was a crock as far as Clark was concerned. 

"C'mon, Dad, what's the point in paying for living in the dorm when I'm not there half the time anyway? There's also the problem of Dave moving in with Chloe, which leaves me without a roommate. Do you really want me to have to explain to some guy why he woke up in the night and I was floating over the bed?" 

Jonathan winced at the mental image that conjured up. "Well, no." He sighed. "I just wanted you to have a normal experience for once in your life," he explained. "I know you never had that option growing up." 

Suddenly understanding, Lex relaxed. This wasn't about him at all. And he did understand where Jonathan was coming from; he just didn't happen to agree in this case. 

Clark looked at his parents. "Dad, Mom, I know you want me to have a normal life, but who's to say that this isn't what's normal for me? Yeah, the dorm was fun, but I want to be with Lex. I won't miss out on stuff on campus; you know Dave and Chloe, yes, and Lex, won't let me do that. I just... you want me to be happy, and this is what's going to make me happy." 

"Clark." Martha raised a hand, brushing her hair back out of her face. "That's all we want." 

Slowly calming down, Jonathan looked from his wife to his son and the young man who'd become another son to him. "So when's the big move?" he asked with a reluctant sigh, tacitly giving his approval. He rested a hand on Lex's shoulder, silently apologizing for the earlier scene. "We can give you a hand moving your things, if you like." 

Lex smiled faintly, accepting the apology equally wordlessly. "Ask Clark. I'm just his humble servant." Seeing Clark's expression, he chuckled. "Actually, the house will be ready to move into next week. Or at least the building will be done. We want to get the furniture together." 

"Maybe you want to help us look for stuff?" Clark asked, offering an olive branch. 

Martha smiled. "Something that both you and Lex can live with?" 

"Exactly!" Lex eyed his flannel-clad lover. "Otherwise I'm afraid we'll end up with a house filled with plaid flannel furniture," he added teasingly. 

"And what's wrong with that?" Martha and Clark asked together, both giving identical looks of shock. 

Lex groaned while Jonathan coughed to cover a laugh. "I'm doomed," he moaned pitifully. 

"And you love it that way," Clark laughed, leaning over to kiss him. 

"Have some pie before you go to your doom, Lex," Martha added. "It'll go down better that way." 

"Oh well, if I have to be owned, there are a lot worse people than Clark Kent," Lex muttered. "At least he comes with a great cook for a mom." 

"Hey! I have other good qualities too!" 

"Like your appetite, dear?" Martha laughed. 

Lex couldn't hold back a sensual chuckle. "I'm very fond of Clark's appetite." 

Clark hid his face in his hands at his parents' laughter. 

* * *

"Not there, in the living room." Lex directed the group of professional movers, family and friends like a general as they brought in the couple's personal possessions and furnishings they'd brought from the penthouse until they could go furniture shopping. Lex Luthor was not about to sleep on the floor. 

Still even without most of the furniture, it was clear what the house would look like in time since Lex and Clark had decided on colors and had the house painted before moving in. The entryway with its pale marble flooring brightened the entire ground floor as it ran straight from the double front doors to the leaded glass door leading out onto the back patio. The entire left side of the ground floor was given over to the four-car garage housing any three of Lex's cars and Clark's 'baby' at the front and the large gym and sauna at the back, with only a small area given over to a powder room near the front door and garage entrance. The right side of the house was divided into the formal living room done in neutral colors appropriate for business entertaining and the game room with its purple pool table only a few shades darker than the walls, which was one of Lex's favorite rooms in the house. Between the game room and the dining room at the back corner was the den with its two walls of floor-to-ceiling cherry bookshelves, entirely decorated in shades of burgundy and hunter green, a masculine retreat. The dining room, again planned with entertaining in mind, was done in restful shades of cream and cinnamon, separated from the slate blue kitchen with its Corian countertops and gleaming brushed steel appliances by simple saloon doors. 

The first floor, the patio and pool--only an outdoor one since Clark had refused to allow Lex to have an indoor one as well, reminding him that they had an entire castle in Smallville if they ever wanted more space for a time--were all that most people would ever see of the house. However, for close family and friends, Lex and Clark had several guestrooms as well. The area above the gym and sauna was taken up by a private office for each of them, joined by a second pool table in the open area at the end, and the remainder of the back end of the house by their private sitting room, bedroom and huge bathroom, all done in varying shades of blues and greens. The rest of the second floor was taken up by four large guestrooms, each done in a different color - peach and grey, lilac, slate, brown and gold - and with a private bathroom done in a complementary shade of marble or granite. The largest room, intended for the use of Jonathan and Martha when they visited, had a fireplace, as did Clark and Lex's bedroom and sitting room. They'd also included an open sitting room in the center of the second floor with a huge skylight to give it some natural light. 

Lex had discovered that he enjoyed decorating their home... and he found added amusement when he realized that he was driving Clark crazy. 

"Want me to walk Sheri?" Clark suggested, hoping to escape from the chaos that was the move. "She looks like she needs to go out." 

"I'll help you," Dave said eagerly. 

"You will get another load from the truck," Chloe said emphatically, eyeing her boyfriend. 

"And you can get us all some frozen cappuccinos while you're out," Lex added, smiling sweetly at his boyfriend. 

At the words of agreement from everyone else, Clark grew wide-eyed. "And just how am I supposed to handle Sheri and..." he did a quick count of everyone in the room, "-eight frozen cappuccinos?" 

"Sheri mastered heeling a lot better than you did, so one tray in each hand, Clark. I'm sure you can handle it. It's not that far, you know." 

"I know. A Starbucks nearby was one of your requirements when we were looking for where to build this place, remember?" 

"Well, of course," Chloe said as she carried a box through the room, eyeing Clark strangely, and Jonathan nodded as well. 

"Coffee is important, son." 

Lex just smirked and handed Clark some money to pay for the coffees. 

Deciding it wasn't worth commenting on when even his mother seemed to be agreeing with his insane boyfriend, Clark stuffed the money in his jeans and whistled for Sheri. "C'mon, Princess, I've been ordered to go get supplies." 

She bounded over, and he hooked the leash to her collar, before straightening and surveying the chaos around him. "I'll be back in ten... hours!" 

"In that case it's a good thing Sheri likes you since you'll be sleeping with her tonight," Lex said sweetly. "Only people who help get to sleep in my bed." 

"Oooo, kinky," Chloe laughed. "Have I helped enough yet?" 

"I'm leaving!" Jonathan and Dave chorused, causing everyone to laugh. 

"I helped," Clark sulked. "I packed up all the books and statues, remember? The ones you wouldn't let movers touch." He looked at his mother curiously. "And, Mom, I didn't hear you say that you were leaving!" 

Martha chuckled and shook her head. "Go and get the drinks, dear. Providing us all with caffeine is helping too." 

Lex chuckled, moving over to slide an arm around Martha's waist while he grinned at Clark. "Better hurry back, Clark. It looks like I'm finally making some progress with your mom!" 

"Dad, I'll get the shotgun while I'm out," Clark promised, unable to resist aiming a needle-like blast of heat at the seat of Lex's pants. 

"Youch!" Lex yelped and shot Clark a look that promised retribution when his parents weren't around, and Sheri trotted over to him to see if everything was all right. He patted her head, then rubbed his abused posterior, sighing when Dave snickered. 

"Problem there, Lex?" Clark asked sweetly before calling Sheri back to him and heading out the door. 

"One of these days..." Lex growled, then glared around when everyone started laughing. "What?" he demanded almost sulkily. 

Martha kissed his forehead. "It's okay, Lex. We think it's cute how Clark can wrap you around his little finger." 

"Little finger?" Dave asked. "I thought it was more of his..." His sentence ended in a garbled mumble as Chloe clamped a hand over his mouth. 

"Sweet personality," she put in quickly. 

No one looked convinced, but they let it slide, not really wanting to get into that discussion. 

"Geez, Lex, how many movies and CDs do you have?" Chloe asked in amazement as the movers piled yet another load of boxes in the corner of what would eventually be the den. 

"A few." Lex shrugged indifferently, not seeing what the big deal was. "Besides, they're not all mine. Clark has some rather peculiar tastes and a lot of that's his." 

Jonathan eyed the number of boxes and contemplated asking just who had paid for the ones that were Clark's but decided against it. 

"All I know is that I'm in love with your kitchen," Martha sighed. "When Jonathan and I retire, we're moving in here with the two of you." 

"Now, Martha, you know how jealous Clark and Jonathan get. I'll be happy to set you up in a love nest if you like," Lex teased, grinning. 

"Okay, that's it. Clark is just going to have to find another bald billionaire to fall in love with," Jonathan stated, rolling up his sleeves and advancing on a laughing Lex. 

"Please don't do that, Mr. Kent!" Chloe begged, grabbing hold of his arm. "Clark would go bonkers and destroy the world if you did anything to Lex." 

"That's an understatement," Dave laughed. 

"You wouldn't want to drive your own son into killing you, now would you, Jonathan?" Martha laughed. 

"I'm glad everyone's so concerned by the effect my death would have on me!" Lex grumbled. 

"That's because you'd survive somehow, Lex," Chloe pointed out logically. 

"If nothing else, Clark would hear you yelling and get back in time to save you," Dave added. 

"At least someone would be concerned," Lex sighed, shaking his head. "Some friends." 

"Awww, did we hurt poor widdle Lexy-Wexy's feelings?" Chloe crooned, making Lex gape at her. 

"I can recommend a really good analyst," he said, backing away slightly. 

"Considering this conversation, I think we all might need that name," Martha commented, laughing. 

"I think trying to deal with all of us en masse would be enough to drive any self-respecting analyst 'round the bend," Lex retorted. 

"Clark ought to back pretty soon," he added. "Want to take a break and go cut some pie to have with those drinks he's bringing us?" 

"Yes!" Chloe and Dave said enthusiastically. 

Jonathan tried to look stern but chuckled. "It would give us more energy to deal with the rest of all this," he allowed. 

Deciding that it wasn't fair for the movers to keep working while the rest of them were taking a break--something he would never even have considered before knowing the Kents--Lex handed them a hundred dollars and told them to go have lunch on him. That taken care of, he turned back to the others, looking uncomfortable at the tender smile Martha gave him. 

"What?" he muttered, hurriedly retreating to the kitchen before he embarrassed himself more. 

Martha covered her mouth with her hand and pretended to cough. "Nothing, dear," she murmured. "Let's see if we can find the plates so we can serve the pie." 

* * *

"Hey! Where is everybody?" Clark called, managing to balance the two trays of drinks and keep from being pulled over by Sheri's energetic lunges as he entered the house. 

"In the kitchen... with the pie!" Lex yelled back, knowing that would bring Clark running faster than anything else... well, aside from Lex himself, naked on the table, but that might be a bit much with the others there. He snickered, then shook his head at their questioning glances. He wondered what they would think if they knew that he and Clark had put the center island with its very modern Corian top to much more interesting use the night before. Somehow he doubted Jonathan would still be leaning on it so comfortably. As soon as they had the house to themselves again, he planned to see if the oval, heavy tempered glass table they were sitting around was up to the same use. 

"There better be some left for me, or I'll drinking all these drinks!" Clark warned, setting a tray down to let Sheri off her leash and closing the front door behind him before heading back to the kitchen. 

"Now, Clark," Martha called. "You know how you get when you have too much caffeine." 

Lex glanced up from where he was kneeling on the floor being greeted by Sheri and grinned at Clark as he appeared in the doorway. "I'm rather fond of the way he gets after too much caffeine... although I'd have to throw you all out to take advantage of it." 

Dave snorted from where he was seated beside Chloe at the table, half-eaten pie in front of him. "Then you'd have to finish unpacking yourself." 

"Stay, please!" Clark begged, making everyone else laugh. 

"I don't know, son. A man should pull his own weight," Jonathan intoned, making Martha flick him with the tea towel she'd been drying her hands on. 

"He manages his weight--and mine--very well, thank you," Lex put in, leering at Clark. With a final pat to Sheri's head, he stood up and claimed his iced coffee before sitting back down at the table between Chloe and Clark, who'd already seated himself. 

"And Sheri's," Clark mumbled around a mouthful of pie that he'd managed to steal during the conversation. 

"We should call him Atlas," Chloe laughed. 

Lex snickered. "Well, he'd look good in a gilded loincloth," he muttered, thinking of a statue he'd once seen. 

"What!" Clark gave a credible impersonation of a chicken squawking. "I don't think so!" Hearing his friends, lover and parents all break into laughter at his reaction, he grumbled and went back to eating his pie. 

"Glad to hear it, son," Jonathan observed after swallowing a bite. "I really don't think I'm ready to see that." 

"I am!" Chloe exclaimed, laughing, at the same instant that Lex said, "You don't know what you're missing." 

Martha looked at her husband, who was shaking his head, and smiled. "I have to agree with Jonathan here. Clark, we love you, but that's one way we don't want to see you." 

"Me either!" Clark and Dave said at the same time. 

"What, you don't want to start a career at Chippendales? You could end up richer than me," Lex teased, grinning wickedly. 

Clark hid his face in his hands and groaned. "Is it too late to get into the dorms again?" 

"Yup, you're all mine now, Kent," Lex purred, adding a mad-scientist laugh for the benefit of the others, who laughed. 

"I warned you about him, son," Jonathan said mock-sadly, shaking his head. 

"Lex, I told you I wasn't going to help you take over the world," Clark sighed before grinning. 

"Chloe might though," Dave offered, ducking when she tried to smack him. 

"Naw, I'm going to get a Pulitzer writing the true story of Lex Luthor and his love for a Kansas farm boy," Chloe chuckled. 

Lex eyes narrowed, and he pointed his fork at her. "You do and those pictures of you from last year's Christmas party will find their way to a brand new website dedicated to Chloe Sullivan, budding reporter!" 

"You wouldn't!" she exclaimed, imagining the world having access to pictures of her in a Santa hat and short fur-trimmed skirt getting carnal with her head elf Dave. 

"Want to bet?" Clark chuckled. "This is Lex Luthor you're talking about here." 

Lex gave her a shark-like grin. "Please bet, Ms. Sullivan." 

"Uh no." She smiled nervously. "Thanks all the same, but I prefer not to be the focus of a Lex Luthor vendetta. I'm too young to die." 

Laughing, Lex leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Eat your pie before Clark steals it," he advised. 

* * *

With a groan, Clark collapsed on the violet leather sofa in the game room and closed his eyes. Everything they'd brought over from the penthouse was in place, though the new house still echoed emptily due to the sparse furnishings. His parents had gone to bed, and Chloe and Dave had gone back to their own place, so everything was quiet - until Sheri started whining to be let out. 

"Lex, your dog wants to go for a walk," he mumbled, not moving. 

"You forget, love," Lex replied, levering himself up from the loveseat he'd all but fallen into a few minutes earlier, "we have a yard again. A fenced in yard." Smiling beatifically, he opened the patio door to let Sheri bound out, watching her for a moment to be sure she was comfortable in the new environment, then moved back to the couch to drop on top of Clark. 

"Our first night in our home, Clark." 

"Our home... God, I feel adult all of a sudden," Clark murmured, wrapping his arms around Lex's waist and holding him close. 

"I'm glad to hear it. I'd hate to think I'd been doing all these things with a child," Lex teased, smirking down at him. He propped himself up with crossed arms on Clark's chest, his chin resting on the soft leather wrapped around his right wrist. "We did it, Clark. A place of our own. We really are a family now." Lex's gaze turned inward, remembering the last time he could honestly say that, before his mother had died. 

"The two of us and a dog - all we need is two-point-five kids, and we'd be middle America." Clark smiled gently, guessing that Lex was thinking about his mother. 

"Well, unless Jor-El was wrong about you and you are going to announce your pregnancy, I think we'll have to skip the kids." Lex laughed at the look that got him. "Hey, you're the alien here, not me. Human males don't give birth." 

"No way!" Clark laughed before snaking a hand in between them and rubbing Lex's stomach. "And who knows, maybe my super-sperm will make you grow a pouch or something. You could make maternity suits all the fashion rage." 

"I am not a kangaroo!" Lex grabbed a cushion and whacked Clark with it. "Crazy alien." 

"Psycho mad genius," Clark shot back, ducking his head to keep from getting smacked with the cushion again. 

"I don't know why I put up with you," Lex sighed. "Oh yeah, the great sex." He smirked as he started squirming, already perfectly positioned atop Clark. 

Clark stuck his tongue out, laughing when Lex pretended to try to bite it. "That's all? Guess I'd better give you some then or I might get tossed out in the street." He arched upward under Lex, then reconsidered. "God, I forgot Mom and Dad are here. Maybe we should get Sheri in and go upstairs." 

"Probably a good idea, though I have a feeling that dynamite couldn't make your father poke his head out that door before morning for fear of what he might see," Lex snickered, reluctantly standing up and heading over to call Sheri. "Make sure all the lights are off while I try to coax her highness in?" 

"Yes, dear," Clark murmured, zipping through the downstairs and flipping off the few lights that had been left on. He ended up behind Lex, arms wrapped around him as they watched Sheri come dashing in from the other side of the wide yard. "This is nice." 

"Yeah." Lex relaxed back against him, his own arms coming up to cover Clark's, and they stood like that for a moment until Sheri bounded up the steps and inside, shooting straight past them toward her water dish. 

"Come on," he said, sliding the door closed and locking it, not that he was worried about burglars with Clark around. "Bed time." 

As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, Clark chuckled. "Privacy, space, no running downtown every time I want to see you: this sure beats the dorms." 

"I'm glad I made the list somewhere," Lex replied dryly. "I'm starting to think you only want me for my houses." 

"Well..." Clark began, before grinning. "They are nice." 

"Brat!" Lex exclaimed, barely remembering to keep his voice down so as not to disturb Jonathan and Martha. "Just for that, you may end sleeping on the couch!" 

Nudging Lex into their bedroom, Clark waited for Sheri to scramble in after them, then pushed the door closed, trapping Lex against it and rubbing against the length of his body. "You wouldn't do that to me, Lex, would you?" he asked, licking his way up Lex's neck to his ear. 

Shivering, Lex let his head fall back and licked his lips. "W-what was the question again?" he rasped, his hands sliding into the back pockets of Clark's cut offs to pull him closer. 

"I asked if you wanted to do me," Clark purred into the shell of Lex's ear. 

"God yes!" Lex thrust against him, their erections rubbing together through the fabric, and he groaned. "And if we don't get to the bed now, I'll do you right here against the door." 

"Hang on," Clark murmured and, in a millisecond, had them on the bed and stripped of clothes as well. 

Lex blinked, momentarily dizzy, but he was getting used to that. "Very useful," he murmured, stretching out on top of Clark and nibbling at his full lower lip, starting to work his way down Clark's body. 

Clark whimpered, shivering when Lex bit at one of his nipples. "And decorative enough for--oh, fuck--the new place?" 

"Oh yeah. We'll have to dress up the place to make it as pretty as you." Lex finally abandoned the hard, wet nipples to continue his journey, his tongue delving into Clark's navel and making him squirm. 

"P-pretty?" Clark tried to sound outraged, but the words ended up coming out needy instead as he curved his hands around Lex's scalp. 

"Very pretty," Lex repeated, staring at the hard cock waiting for him. "All golden and muscular and... all... mine." The last words were punctuated by his tongue dragging across the head of Clark's erection. 

Agreement came in the form of a strangled moan as Clark shuddered, trying to lie still when all he wanted to do was to thrust upward into Lex's mouth. 

"Gorgeous," Lex murmured, raising his head, then sliding up Clark's body to kiss him hungrily, tongue claiming Clark's mouth while he rocked his hips. 

"Le-ex," Clark gasped before kissing him frantically, his hands roaming over every inch of Lex's pale skin that he could reach. 

"That's me," Lex purred, nibbling on Clark's jaw while reaching over to the nightstand. A moment later he was gone again, reversing his glide along Clark's body and settling between his legs, a slick finger teasingly tracing the cleft between his cheeks. 

Hands fisting at his side to keep from tearing at the new bed linens, Clark writhed. "Just do - stop teasing!" he wailed, not caring that his parents were down the hall. 

Laughing, Lex slid a finger inside him, then a second, making Clark gasp as he stroked the sensitive gland, then he knelt up between Clark's wide spread legs and pressed into him, back arching as he drove deep inside his lover's body. 

Straining to keep his eyes open and locked on Lex's, Clark whimpered, clutching at the older man to draw him down for another kiss. 

Lex braced his hands on either side of Clark's head as they kissed, his hips rocking back and forth in a slow rhythm and his belly gliding against Clark's erection. 

"Love you... so much," Clark gasped, tightening down around Lex's erection and shuddering when Lex bit his lower lip. 

Moaning, Lex started moving faster, lowering more of his weight onto Clark so his cock, sandwiched between them, was rubbed with every thrust. One hand reached down and caught Clark's, their fingers intertwining as their bodies sped up, reaching for their climaxes. 

The world narrowed to the moment, then exploded, taking Clark with it, and he muffled his cry against Lex's mouth, warm semen spreading between them as he came. 

Lex gasped as Clark clenched down around him, his whole body shuddering, and he only managed a few more quick, shallow thrusts before he cried out as well, shaking with the intensity of his climax. He collapsed on top of the younger man, indifferent to the sticky puddle between them, pressing kisses to Clark's throat. 

"'nywhere with you's home," Clark sighed, holding him close while gently tightening his fingers around Lex's. 

"Love you too." Lex raised their joined hands so he could press a kiss to Clark's. 

"Mmm, thought that might be the case." 

"Smart ass," Lex said without heat. "At least now we won't have to listen to any more of those idiot fraternity guys. I still think you should have let me have them disbanded," he grumbled, nuzzling into Clark. 

Clark shrugged. "Eh, I got used to being called 'Miss Kent.'" And he took secret and perverse pleasure in the fact that he'd melted down the falcon statue outside their house late one night. It had been petty but worth it. 

"We'll see if they still think it's so funny when they graduate and have to find a job in this town," Lex muttered with grim satisfaction. 

"Be nice, Lex," Clark sighed. "It doesn't matter. They don't matter." 

"No, they don't," Lex agreed. "But you do. And I think it's time people realized that you're not some rent boy, you're my partner, and that I'm very protective of what's mine." 

Sighing, Clark raised his free hand to trace patterns on Lex's scalp. "Some people are always going to think that, and you know it, especially with the things your father manages to put in the paper." 

Lex growled at the mention of Lionel Luthor. "One would think that he would have enough to do with Victoria and that poor kid they created. But he refuses to accept that there's no way he can take Luthorcorp back from me." He sighed. "I honestly wish he'd just disappear off the face of the earth." 

Hearing the tone of Lex's voice when he said that, Clark opened his eyes fully and gazed at him. "No," he said firmly, leaving it at that. 

"I didn't mean..." Lex started, only to trail off at the knowing look in the younger man's eyes. "Well, maybe I did, but I wouldn't. Not because I would regret it," he added bitterly, "but because I would never do something you couldn't forgive. You make a pretty good conscience, Clark." 

"Hey, you know how Dad always says you reap what you sow? Well, eventually that'll come along and bite your dad in the ass, I promise." 

"I just hope I'm there to see it." Lex laid his head back on Clark's shoulder, idly toying with the fingers of the hand he still held. "Fortunately, we don't have to worry about him. What we should be worrying about," he said, changing the subject abruptly, "is a shower. We're sticky." 

Chuckling quietly at Lex's need to be clean, Clark shrugged. "Mmm... No. I feel like licking you clean tonight." Saying that, he flipped them over and began to work his way down Lex's chest, taking care to reach every ticklish spot the other man had. 

"Argh!" Lex writhed, trying to get free, but Clark had a firm grip on him. "I thought we'd broken you of that habit," he laughed, squirming as Clark tickled him. 

In answer, Clark blew a raspberry against Lex's firm stomach before delving into his navel with his tongue, all the while holding Lex down with one hand. 

Lex yelped, thrashing amongst the tangled sheets and giggling madly, which brought Sheri to investigate. Woofing happily, she bounded up and licked Clark's face before he realized she was there. 

"Argh! Sheri!" Clark howled, sitting up and wiping his face with both hands, making faces and gagging, trying to get the feel of dog tongue out of his mouth. 

Doubled over, Lex howled with laughter, petting the excited dog. "Got a little more than you bargained for there, love?" 

Picking up Sheri, Clark held her over Lex's face, encouraging her to lick him as well. "Fuck you, Luthor," he laughed. 

Chortling, Lex made sure to keep his mouth closed, not wanting a repeat of what she'd done to Clark. He petted her and finally fended her off when she showed no sign of getting tired of licking his face, sitting up to wrinkle his nose at Clark as he wiped his cheek with a corner of the sheet. "Was that an offer?" he finally asked, smirking again. 

"After that? You must be high." 

"And we find out the limits of your love - sand and dog slobber," Lex chuckled. "Now I really do need a shower." 

Clark snorted and rolled off the bed. "I'm a bastard, I know and fine, fine, take your shower." 

"You're not going to come wash my back?" Lex widened his eyes, trying to look pitiful. 

"Yes, I'm going to come wash your back," Clark sighed, shaking his head and laughing. "And then we'll talk about that offer." 

"Oh good." Lex put a little extra wiggle in his walk as he strolled toward their bathroom. "I'll make it worth your while, big boy," he teased, grinning. 

"Keep it up and I'll start calling you Miss Luthor," Clark snickered. 

"Just so long as you call me," Lex responded, disappearing through the doorway, laughter floating out behind him. 

* * *

"How much more furniture is coming?" Clark asked, looking out at the delivery truck, then back at Lex, who was directing the delivery people in the placement of a sofa. 

"How much more did we buy?" Lex shrugged. "None of the patio furniture is here, or the electronics, or the dining room set." 

"Well, something else just got here. Another van is pulling into the driveway." Clark walked out to the front porch to see what store this one was from. "Did you order any flowers?" he called back inside, seeing the name on the truck. 

"Flowers? No." Lex came over to look. "Your mother or Chloe must have ordered them to give the place that feminine touch," he shrugged. 

"Then why does it look like a funeral wreath?" 

"What?" Lex looked up from the clipboard he'd been signing to acknowledge receipt of the latest furniture delivery and gaped at the wreath of lilies and black ribbon. "What the hell?" 

"Delivery for Mr. Lex Luthor from Mr. Lionel Luthor," the delivery man announced. 

Lex let out a wordless snarl, making the florist back up as his eyes widened. 

"I'll take that," Clark said quickly, snatching the wreath from the hapless delivery person's hands and digging in his pocket for his wallet to tip him. 

Once the man was gone, he risked a glance at Lex, who looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. "I'll get rid of these," he said, hoping to get rid of the flowers and the card on them before Lex got a chance to read whatever poison Lionel had written there. 

Before Clark could move, Lex snatched the card from the wreath, then had to pause before he could open it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this enraged, and if Lionel had been there just then, he was sure he wouldn't have been able to restrain himself. 

"Lex..." Clark knew he could easily get the card out of Lex's hand and destroy it before he could even move, but he didn't want to take advantage of his powers that way. "What good's it going to do to read it?" 

Lex crumpled it in his fist, then let out a deep breath. "Since Lionel went to the trouble of sending us this charming housewarming gift, it's only polite to read the warm sentiment that no doubt comes with it," he gritted out. Smoothing out the envelope, he opened the card, his frown deepening as he read it. "That son of a bitch." 

"What?" Clark asked, reaching for the card crumpled in Lex's fist. "Lex, let me see it," he cajoled, finally prying the small rectangle from Lex's hands to read what was written on it. "...lose your backers? What does he mean?" 

"The sanctimonious bastard thinks that that all my backers are homophobic assholes like he is who will pull out of Luthorcorp and Lexcorp now that we're openly living together. He's wrong, of course." 

"That won't happen." Setting the wreath on the ground, Clark wrapped his arms around Lex, feeling the tension vibrating through his body and praying that what he was saying was the truth. "They know about us. I mean, we've been hard to miss this past year." 

"I know. Oh, I'm sure a couple of the old diehards will pull out, but it won't matter. He's just trying to piss me off and ruin this for us, and I won't let him." Lex gave the flowers a look that should have incinerated them on the spot. 

Clark nodded. "We should send him something in return, a 'thanks for being a total jackass' basket or something." 

"Full of ragweed and burrs?" Lex suggested, relaxing slightly in Clark's embrace. 

"Is he allergic to anything?" Clark asked, giving a truly evil grin. 

"Jasmine," Lex replied with an equally evil smile. "But you have no way of knowing that, of course." 

"Of course not. I'm just going to be polite and thank him for his gift to us. I'm from the country; we're always polite, right?" 

"Oh definitely. That's the first thing I noticed about you, how polite you are." Lex grinned wickedly, his humor restored by Clark's plan. 

Leaning in to kiss Lex's nose, Clark chuckled. "And not vindictive at all. Now come in and help me find the phone book so we can order those flowers." 

"We just have to dispose of that," Lex said, giving the wreath a look of distaste. "Toss it in the fireplace and burn it." 

"Nah, I'll take it out behind the garage and do it the easy way. Don't want to stink up the house." Giving Lex a final hug, Clark let him go and bent to pick up the flowers. 

"Just make sure the delivery people are gone before... oh, there they go. It's okay. I'll find the number of a florist while you take care of that," Lex offered, knowing that his assistant Joel would find one for him in seconds. 

"Sounds good to me." Clark turned to walk back to the garage, then grinned back over his shoulder. "We make a pretty good team, Krillin." 

Lex headed inside, muttering about Halloween, prison jumpsuits and dice-marks, ignoring the snickers behind him. By the time Clark rejoined him, he'd called Joel and gotten the number of a couple of florists, just in case the first one didn't have what they wanted. 

Before they called, Clark rubbed at his chin, looking thoughtful. "You know, I could make sure the flowers got to him..." 

Lex eyed him warily, not fooled by the innocent expression. "What exactly did you have in mind?" 

"The chances of Lionel getting near them are pretty slim, but what if I got them to his house and inside? If I went super fast, nobody would see me, and he'd get a good whiff of the flowers before anyone could stop it." 

Frowning, Lex considered it. It sounded safe enough. "Okay, but if there's the slightest chance of someone seeing you, forget it. And don't forget to leave a card." 

"Can the card say 'fuck you asshole'? He probably gets those every day, so he wouldn't know that it was me who left it." 

Laughing, Lex nodded. "Sounds appropriate. You'll have to go pick up the flowers--sorry I can't come with you, but there are still more deliveries coming--and take them over. I'll start lunch while you're out." 

"Like I mind, it'll save me from having to move things a hundred times when the delivery people are gone." Clark grinned. "And if you're making lunch, will you wear that frilly apron?" 

"You want me to wear that for the delivery people?" 

"They'll be gone by then!" 

"You're so cute when you're jealous. Go deliver the flowers, and we can discuss kinky costumes when you get back," Lex chuckled. 

"No spandex though," Clark laughed, giving Lex another kiss before grabbing his keys and heading out the door in search of jasmine. 

"Some day I'm going to get you over this spandex phobia you have," Lex called after him, laughing. Shaking his head, he went to see what they could have for lunch, wondering again why he'd agreed to no cook in the house. He was going to have to work on Clark about that. 

* * *

August 2006 

"Hey, Kent!" James Prescott IV, a fellow sophomore and legacy member of one of the fraternities on campus, came up behind him where he was talking to Dave and Chloe and clapped him on the shoulder, hard enough to knock an unsuspecting person over, which was exactly what he'd hoped to do. Disappointed when Clark didn't move but not letting that stop him, Pres started in. 

"I hear you're living off campus this year. With your pansy-ass boyfriend, I'm sure. Were we too hard on you last year?" he said with fake sadness. "Poor Clarky-Warky, can't stand the bad boys at school? Or were you hoping we'd do you too?" he sneered. 

His jaw clenching against the desire to toss the preppy jerk over the roof, Clark managed a tight smile as he turned to look at Pres. "No thanks, I wouldn't want to get whatever STDs you and your buddies have." 

"Naww, it's you faggots who get that stuff," Pres sneered, making Chloe and Dave roll their eyes at his incredible obtuseness. "So it is true? Did baldy set you up in some little love nest?" 

Upping his wish to toss Pres over the building to just splatting him into the side of it, Clark forced himself to do neither. "You know, Pres, with as much concern as you show for my love life, I'm starting to wonder if you've got the hots for me - or maybe Lex." 

"Gross! You're disgusting, Kent!" Pres made gagging noises, which finally drove Chloe to dealing with him since Clark was obviously too nice. 

"Since you dislike our company so much, and we certainly don't want yours, why don't you get lost?" she snapped. Turning her back on him, hoping that ignoring him would make him go away, she continued their previous conversation, "So this Saturday for the party, Clark?" 

"Gee, am I invited too?" Pres immediately said, making her realize her mistake. 

"Aren't you afraid the faggyness will rub off on you?" Clark asked. 

"I don't think you're good at that, Kent," Dave tried to joke. "I mean, we lived together for a year, and I'm still straight." 

"I can vouch for that!" Chloe exclaimed fervently, hoping to break the tension. "And sorry, Pres, but this party's for friends only. We have a no-creep policy." 

Pres just smiled a toothy grin that had no effect on people who'd seen Lex Luthor in corporate raider mode and strode off, certain that he would be able to discover the address of Kent's new place. His girlfriend worked in the registrar's office. 

"Sorry, Clark, I wasn't thinking," Chloe apologized. 

Clark shrugged and gave her a hug. "Not a problem, Chloe. He was just trying to get a rise out of me. I'm sure he'll forget about it fifteen minutes from now." 

Frowning after Pres, Chloe muttered, "I suppose so," then shook her head and returned to the important matter of planning the party. "So, how many people are you inviting, and does Lex know about this yet?" 

"Last count was about fifty, and ummm... I'm going to tell him tonight. After we go to bed. And he's relaxed." 

"You're so dead, Kent," Dave laughed. 

"Nah," Chloe chuckled in reply. "But it'll be interesting to see what Lex dresses him in as repayment for this little surprise." Grinning, she happened to glance at the clock over the door of the nearby chemistry building and swore. "Damn, my next glass is in fifteen minutes at the other end of campus! I'll never get there, find a parking spot and get in on time. And Hendricks is such a stickler for punctuality! He locks the door a minute after class starts." 

Clark glanced up at the clock, then at Chloe. "I'd offer to run you over there, but well, it might be a little obvious." 

She sighed. "Oh well, I can borrow Fran's notes. At least he's not one of those who flunks you regardless of your scores if you don't attend every class. This way I can use the time to go shopping for your housewarming present. Something to liven up the place I think," she said with a sweet smile. 

Clark looked over at Dave, his eyes wide. "Why does that scare me?" 

Dave chuckled. "Because it combines Chloe with shopping, does that answer your question?" 

Chloe sniffed. "Come, Dave. I need someone to carry my purchases." With a final evil little smile at Clark, she sauntered off, a finger hooked into Dave's belt loop towing him behind her. 

"Woof," Dave muttered, shooting a desperate look over his shoulder at Clark. 

"Hey, don't look at me. I may not be alive after tonight!" 

* * *

"You did what?" Lex demanded, sitting straight up in bed and twisting to stare down in disbelief at his lover. His clearly insane lover. 

"Invited some people over Saturday for a party," Clark said in a small voice, wondering if being invulnerable was going to save him from Lex's wrath. 

"How many people?" Lex wanted to be certain he'd heard right the first time, blue eyes staring narrowly at the almost visibly squirming man beside him. 

"I dunno, about fifty." Now Clark was wishing that shrinking was one of his powers because he wanted to crawl under the bed and hide. 

"Fifty. Indeed. And this is our housewarming party?" He waited for the tiny nod. "Well then, you'll have no objection if I invite some of my friends and acquaintances as well, will you." It wasn't a question. 

"No, of course not, whatever you want Lex," Clark said quickly. 

"Hrm. I'll have Joel arrange the caterers." Seeing Clark's look of dismay, he added, "And we'll have some weenies for your friends too." Then he sighed. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. I'll have a mixture for both our tastes." 

After a moment's silence, Clark sighed. "I'll cancel it. Tell everyone something came up." 

"No," Lex argued. "There's no reason to do that. You just took me by surprise. I'll call Bruce and Dick and invite them, maybe a couple of other friends. And Enrique would poison us next time he saw us if we didn't bring him for the party." 

"Then we should call my folks too. I'll call Rob and see if he and Lana can get away from KU for the weekend." Clark looked up quickly. "If you don't mind more people." 

"I'm just glad it's still warm since with that many people, they'll be in the yard too. I hope no one falls into the pool," Lex sighed. 

"I just hope no one lets Sheri out." 

"She's too smart to go far. She knows she's treated like a princess here," Lex snorted. "We'd have to chase her away, and we know how likely that is." 

Clark chuckled. "I think you'd chase me away first." 

"Hmmm, I'd better put a 'return to owner' tag on you just in case. I'm not sure you know how to find your way home." 

"Fuck you, Luthor," Clark grumbled good naturedly, relieved that Lex seemed to be warming to the idea of the party. "Everyone knows I belong to you anyway." 

"Better safe than sorry. I think we need to wear something open at the neck to show these off," Lex said, flicking Clark's collar with a finger. "Just to be sure." 

About to suggest he just go shirtless, Clark caught himself just in time because he knew Lex would take him up on it. "Well, since it's an outdoor party, a tank top works for me." 

"It certainly does," Lex purred. "I think I'll go with something a little more me though. Perhaps it's time to show the fraternity brothers exactly what you do see in the 'bald freak'," he chuckled wickedly. "Leather, mesh top, some body jewelry, what do you think?" His smile would have been familiar to anyone who'd faced him over a negotiating table. 

Clark's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "With... oh shit, I'd better wear loose shorts." 

Lex laughed, lying down again. "Maybe so, because if anyone touches, I'll rip their hand off. You're all mine, Clarkbar." 

Rolling over on top of Lex, Clark stared down at him. "I think I'm the one whose going to be watching people drool over you - no, I know I will be." 

"Well then, you'll just have to stake your claim, won't you?" 

Leaning in, Clark paused with his mouth millimeters above Lex's throat. "Mark my territory?" he rasped before closing lips and teeth over the pale skin there, sucking and biting to leave a dark purple bruise. 

"Definitely," Lex replied huskily, moaning as Clark did just that, his arms going around the other man to draw him closer. 

Once he was sure that the bruise would remain visible through Friday at least, Clark drew back, gazing down at Lex through passion-darkened eyes. "Show everyone you're mine." 

"I think everyone's already aware of that, but I don't have any problem with reiterating it." Lex grinned up at him. 

"Good," Clark murmured, tilting his head to the other side and decorating it with an identical mark. "Otherwise I might have to make you walk funny too." 

"Well, if you think it's necessary, far be it for me to stop you," Lex gasped, arching up under him. "I mean, I want you to feel comfortable and secure, and if that means I have to let you fuck me through the mattress, well, I'll just grin and bear it." 

"Close your eyes and think of Lexcorp?" Clark chuckled, backing off Lex to flip him over and lick up his spine. 

Lex nearly choked, gasping and laughing simultaneously. "If you think I can think of anything but you, Clarkbar, when you're doing that, you're nuts." He moaned and shifted sensually beneath Clark, his back arching as he was explored. 

"Hmm, and here I didn't think you liked it when I got in the licking mood," Clark murmured before dragging his tongue up the small ridges of Lex's spine and nipping at the back of his neck. 

"I never said that," Lex moaned, shivering. "I just thought you were fixated on it for a while... and you were. But I never said it didn't feel good." He clenched his fists in the sheets, biting his lip so he wouldn't beg for more. 

Clark pouted. "I like the way you taste; is there something wrong with that?" 

"N-not at all. I like the way you taste too. I just feel like I should have a label on me that says Clark-nip," Lex chuckled breathlessly. 

Arching his hips forward, Clark rubbed his erection against Lex's ass. "That's a good description for you. I have my words; that's yours." 

"I can live with that." Lex caught hold of one of Clark's hands, their fingers lacing together. "Now maybe you could move on to the second course?" 

Clark tightened his fingers around Lex's, then pulled back to lick his way back down Lex's back to his ass. Catching Lex's pale cheeks in his hands, Clark spread them apart slightly and leaned in to flick his tongue across the tightly clenched muscle. 

Lex yipped. Of course he would deny to his dying breath that he'd ever made such an undignified sound, but that was what it was. 

His legs spread farther apart, his knees and toes dug into the mattress for purchase, and his back arched as he tried to force Clark's tongue inside him. "Claaaaark!" he wailed, thrashing beneath his weight. 

Chuckling huskily, Clark lapped at the thin skin again, tracing the tip of his tongue around the muscular ring, denying Lex what he wanted. 

"Stop teasing, you sadistic alien bastard!" 

Clark lifted his head and grinned. "What are you going to do about it if I don't, Krillin?" 

"Go stark, raving mad, and then you'll be stuck without anyone to torture!" 

"Hrmmm, good point." Still laughing, Clark dipped his head down and began probing at the tight opening, loosening the muscle and groaning at the taste of Lex's musk. 

Whimpering, Lex pushed back, crying out as Clark's tongue slipped inside him, driving him into a mindless state where all he was aware of was Clark's touch and the need burning deep inside him. 

Clark could feel the way Lex suddenly gave himself over to the pleasure, and he would have smiled if he had been able to. Instead, he continued to tongue Lex's hole, one hand sliding up under him to stroke his erection as well. 

Lex rocked back and forth between Clark's tongue and hand, moaning with pleasure, his fingers kneading the mattress like a cat in the throes of pleasure. "Clark," he moaned, back arching deeply. 

Loving Lex's reaction, Clark redoubled his efforts, wanting Lex loose and open for him. 

Giving up all control, Lex let Clark do whatever he wanted, simply wallowing in the physical sensations swamping him. 

Clark continued to plunge his tongue into Lex's ass time and time again until the need became too much for him. Reaching forward, he caught Lex by the hips, pulled him up, and seated Lex on his lap, impaled by his cock. "Move for me, Lex," he purred. 

Gasping as his body stretched to accommodate Clark's girth, Lex remained still for a moment, enjoying the slight burn of penetration, then slowly began to rock atop him. He moaned hungrily as Clark's hands on his hips helped raise and lower him, erection sliding in and out of his body. "God, yes," he panted, one hand going to his own cock, the other going behind him to curl around Clark's neck. 

"That's right," Clark said, circling his hips under Lex's negligible weight and closing a hand over Lex's so they could stroke his shaft together. "Feel so good around me." 

"Feel so good in me," Lex countered, head lying back against the Clark's shoulder, hips now moving slightly more rapidly. 

"Wanna feel you come for me, come around me," Clark continued, rasping the words out into Lex's ear as they moved together and he raised his free hand to tweak the other man's nipples. 

"That's pretty much inevitable," Lex panted, fucking himself rapidly on Clark now, his arousal spiking and his back arching as Clark toyed with him. "God, gonna come," he gasped, feeling his balls draw up and his body tense. 

"Do it, Lex," Clark rasped, arching harder into his body, holding Lex in place as he did so. 

Lex cried out at the hard thrust, then cried out again, his body spasming as he climaxed, creamy fluid spurting over their joined hands while he moaned Clark's name. 

"God, yes!" Clark yelled, managing several more thrusts before the rhythmic spasms of Lex's body around him made him come as well. 

Draped over Clark's body, feeling him still deep inside, Lex suddenly started to chuckle. "If you were trying to make me feel better about this party, you succeeded." 

Clark gave a tired laugh and straightened up enough to lick the curve of Lex's head. "Good enough to have a barbeque?" 

"If you get your mom to make potato salad." 

"You really think she wouldn't?" Clark laughed. "We'll be buried in the stuff, and pies as well." 

"Like you're complaining," Lex scoffed. "That's the only way anyone else will get so much as a single bite of pie with you around." 

"Did I say I was complaining? I'm going to take the pies I want and lock them in our bedroom where they'll be safe." 

"Just make sure Sheri isn't in there with them," Lex laughed, sighing softly when Clark slipped out of him. 

Clark shuddered and collapsed back on the bed, bringing Lex with him. "Gross! We'd be cleaning pie out of the rug for a year!" 

Lex immediately shifted to his favorite position on top of Clark, chin propped on his crossed wrists. "Well, you know she loves sweets and, like you, pie in particular. It's my lot in life to love pie-monsters." 

"And ours to love Mr. Potato Head," Clark grinned. 

Growling, Lex grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. 

"Problem?" Clark snickered, trying to fend off Lex's subsequent blows. 

"You are such a brat. You're lucky I love you," Lex sighed, shaking his head as he flopped back on top of Clark, not up to much exertion just yet, still enjoying the afterglow. 

"Yeah." Clark smiled and looked up at Lex, blushing just a bit. "I am." 

Lex smiled instantly, his eyes warm. "Almost as lucky as I am," he murmured, stretching up to kiss Clark lightly. 

The color of Clark's cheeks deepened, and he slid his arms around Lex's waist after pulling the sheet over the both of them. "Go to sleep, Lex," he mumbled. "It's late." 

* * *

"Interesting guest list, Lex," Bruce Wayne observed, taking a swallow of his beer as he watched Dick try to flee Chloe, who was determined to interview the dark-haired billionaire's younger lover. 

"Clark and I don't exactly have a lot of overlap in our acquaintances. And my only real friends are you and Dick, a couple others from prep school, and Chloe and Dave." Lex shrugged, watching with amusement as Chloe cornered Dick near the barbecue at one edge of the large, interlock patio that ran half the length of the house. He and Bruce were as far away as they could get at the moment, standing companionably near the Olympic-sized in-ground pool on the left side of the yard, though not far from the short path that joined the pool area to the patio. 

Laughing, Clark tossed a frisbee with Dave and Rob. "I can't believe you did it," he called, looking over to where Lana was showing his mother her engagement ring. 

"I can't believe he held out a whole year after high school," Dave threw in, ducking as the redhead winged the disc his way. 

"I can't believe I actually traveled across the state to put up with you guys!" Rob groaned. 

Bruce chuckled, shaking his head. "You, my friend, have been domesticated." 

Glancing around just as another group of college students came through the gate into the yard, Lex sighed. "Sad, isn't it? But then again, Clark's worth it." He smiled fondly as Clark jogged over to greet the newcomers and direct them toward the food and drink. Jonathan was happily presiding over the barbecue, chuckling as he listened to Chloe question the elusive Dick. 

Exasperated, Chloe towed Dick over to Bruce and Lex, keeping a firm grasp on him as she did. "More secrets?" she demanded of Lex, who smirked. 

"I think you should be asking them that," he said, making his escape. "But I will say, gentlemen, that she's like a terrier with a bone when it comes to secrets, and she knows all of Clark's and mine." That said, he made for Clark, still grinning. 

After pointing the newcomers in the direction of the food and drinks, Clark slid an arm around Lex's waist. "We need a camera," he laughed. "The sight of sheer terror on Dick's face is worth a million bucks at least." 

"I know. You think he'd have learned by now," Lex chuckled, leaning into him. "She's been doing this every time they've met for the last few years. I'm starting to think the Bat is the brains of that team." 

"Like that ever was a question," Clark laughed. "At least Enrique and Alfred haven't come to blows yet over who's the most efficient." 

"I think they've agreed to be equals, each with his own territory." Lex offered him a mouthful of his root beer, a guilty pleasure that he'd become addicted to recently, thanks to Clark. 

Clark nodded. "Good thing Enrique doesn't know that Alfred helps Batman as well or he'd be wanting to make us both superheroes so he didn't fall behind." 

Lex struck a pose. "You don't think I'd look good in Nightwing's costume? I'm hurt!" 

After studying him critically for a moment, Clark grinned. "You're more the Warrior Angel type, I think." 

"Mmmm, I like it. We can do that for Halloween this year. And we can have the party here so long as we won't get arrested for corrupting minors or some such thing," Lex chuckled. "And we can disappear from our own party for a quickie." 

"You sure they guests won't tear the place down?" Clark laughed. "And if you're Warrior Angel, who do I get to be? Devilicus?" 

"Of course. And you can corrupt me. Think you can handle that assignment?" Lex purred, turning to face him fully and pressing close, indifferent to the eyes on them. 

Clark chuckled. "I think if that's the case, you need to be Devilicus and I can be Warrior Angel." 

"You are not shaving your hair off!" 

One look at the horrified expression on Lex's face and Clark burst into laughter, leaning against Lex to keep from crumpling to the ground. 

"Ha ha," Lex grumbled. "You did that on purpose, you brat. Just for that, I think you should go get me something to eat while I go save Dick from Chloe." 

Clark snickered. "Let me guess, potato salad with a side of ribs?" 

"Of course. And you should bring some for Chloe too to make up for losing her prey," Lex laughed over his shoulder as he headed toward Dick, who immediately focused his desperate gaze on the other man. 

"Hey, Chloe, Clark is getting us something to eat. Want to come grab a seat with me?" 

"Sure," the blonde laughed, pointing a finger at Dick and looking him squarely in the eye. "And I'll be talking to you later, got it?" 

Dick practically whimpered and scooted over to where Alfred was holding court, Sheri sitting calmly at his side. 

Clark watched it all, knowing he was grinning like a loon, but not caring in the least. 

"You really should stop terrorizing Dick, you know," Lex observed with amusement as he and Chloe perched on the rocks edging the corner of the garden planted along the border of the patio. "You should be tired of it by now." As he spoke, he looked around, eyes skimming over the crowd until they settled on Clark and a small smile curved his lips. 

She smirked and took a sip of her drink. "I'll get tired of it when he answers my questions. I know there's more going on with him and Bruce than they let on - and I don't mean in the relationship sense either!" 

"Maybe it's something personal and nothing whatsoever to do with you, did you ever think of that?" Lex laughed. "I know that's thinking outside the box for you, but there really are things that are none of your business." 

"Now, Lex, if I thought that way, I'd never make it as a reporter," she laughed. 

"You'd never be sued, you mean," Clark added as he joined them, handing both of them plates of food before settling himself beside Lex. 

Lex immediately dropped a hand onto Clark's leg, not even realizing he'd done it until he followed Chloe's amused gaze. He flushed very faintly, but he left the hand where it was. "Thanks, Clark." He eyed his plate and Clark's and promptly stole a piece of cheese off Clark's while Chloe watched and laughed. 

"Oh, like you and Dave are any better," Clark muttered, shaking his head. 

"She's just jealous 'cause my boyfriend's prettier than hers," Lex laughed, leaning against Clark and not noticing when another group of young men arrived. 

"Oh please!" Chloe laughed before catching sight of the newcomers and groaning. 

Hearing her, Clark looked toward the gate and cursed under his breath. "How the fuck did they get here?' he growled, not wanting Pres and his friends to ruin the party. 

"Something wrong?" Lex asked, straightening up and turning to see what had caught their attention, his narrowed gaze immediately landing on the new arrivals. "Party crashers?" he asked in a silky tone. 

Watching them from beside Martha Kent, Bruce frowned as he picked up on Lex and Clark's tension, and excusing himself, he made his way toward his friends. 

"Clarky! How's it hangin'?" Pres slurred, clearly already having had several drinks before his uninvited arrival. 

"It would be hanging better if you left," Clark answered tightly. "So why don't you do just that." 

"Aww, is lil Clarky Warky sayin' he don' wan' us here? You hear that, brothers? Whaddya thin' we should do 'bout that?" Pres was swaying slightly, but his belligerent posture made it clear that he wasn't planning to leave quietly. 

"I am saying that I don't want you in my home, and since you weren't invited, I'm more than happy to call the police to remove you if necessary," Lex said icily as Bruce arrived. 

"Do you need any help, Lex?" the older man inquired, cold eyes measuring the fraternity boys. 

"I'm not sure yet. They may prove to have an IQ higher than a turnip and simply leave." 

"Ooo, Clarky Warky's sugar daddy doesn't want us here," Pres laughed as he stepped forward to poke Lex in the chest. 

In the blink of an eye, Clark was between his drunk classmate and Lex, catching Pres by the arm and spinning him around. "No, nobody wants you here, so get your ass out before I kick it out," he growled, catching his father's eye as Jonathan came up to help as well. 

"Hands off or I'll press assault charges!" Pres yelled, either not seeing or not caring about the looks of disgust he was getting from everyone else. 

"You can try, but you won't get far considering you're trespassing," Lex snapped. 

"Your word against mine, Luthor," Pres sneered. 

"And everyone else here, including mine," Bruce pointed out coolly. 

"Who the hell are you?" 

"Bruce Wayne." 

Pres' jaw dropped. Luthor and Wayne? If he pissed them both off, he'd have to move to another country to make a decent living and he could kiss any political aspirations goodbye. "Fine," he finally said sulkily. "Your candy ass party wouldn't be any fun anyway." 

Clark resisted the urge to hoist Pres up by the seat of his pants and toss him over the house and into the street. 

"Let me, son," Jonathan said quietly, taking hold of the blond boy and leading him toward the street, followed by his friends. 

"If I might be of assistance, sir?" Both Enrique and Alfred appeared at his side to assure themselves that the rabble were gone for good. 

"Candy ass party?" Clark gaped. "This party isn't candy ass!" 

"I really don't think you should worry about the opinion of a spoilt, drunken homophobe," Lex said dryly, sitting back down and tugging on Clark's hand to draw him down as well. "Sorry about that, everyone, but the interruption's over, so let's all have a good time," he called in a raised voice. 

"Time for limbo!" Rob called, grabbing Dave and making him hold the other end of a pool skimmer handle, then trying to get Lana to dance under the pole. 

Lex and Bruce both looked at the pole with raised eyebrows and identical expressions of negation. "Don't let me stop you," Lex said to Clark, planting himself more firmly on the stone. 

"You want me to do it, you're doing it too," Clark laughed, watching his mother giving it a try, followed by Chloe. 

"Not even for you, Clark," Lex replied emphatically. "If you don't want to, that's fine. No way am I doing that." 

An arm around Dick, who had joined them, Bruce smirked down at his friend. "Afraid you're not limber enough to match your old record, Lex?" 

"No more than you, Bruce," Lex shot back. 

Eyes lighting up, Clark looked from one man to the other. "Record? Spill it, you two!" 

Ignoring Lex's death glare, Bruce explained, "In his younger days, Lex was well known for being able to slither under limbo poles so low that no one else could. I believe he still holds the Metropolis club record for lowest pole." 

Lex groaned, burying his face in his hands. 

Grinning evilly, Clark slid his arms around Lex's waist from behind and nibbled at his ear. "C'mon, Lex. Do it for me?" he pleaded, pressing a kiss against the collar around his throat. 

"That is so unfair," Lex grumbled, still trying to hold out while the others laughed at him. 

"Please, baby," Clark wheedled, knowing that that particular tone of voice could get him anything, anything at all. 

"Shit," Lex sighed, making everyone laugh again. "You are going to make this up to me, Clark, I promise you that," he groused as he pulled his shoes and socks off and rolled up the cuffs of his pants, then pulled off his shirt as well before striding over to the still relatively high bar and easily dancing under it. 

"Whoo, baby!" Clark yelled, giving Lex a thumbs up as he got in line again. 

Groaning, Lex wondered how on earth he got himself into these things and then remembered that it was because of a certain not from Earth college student. He ignored the wolf whistles and yells from the guests who'd never seen Lex dressed so informally, knowing that he looked damn good, and when it was his turn again, he moved under the bar easily, making it look like nothing despite several others having failed already. 

"How low can you go?" Dave laughed, dropping the bar so that Chloe fell onto her back and glared up at her boyfriend. 

"Don't answer that out loud!" Martha called from where she stood leaning against Jonathan. 

"Mom!" Clark gasped before blushing. 

Lex just leered over at him. "I wouldn't. I don't want to disappoint those who can't have me," he laughed. He eyed the much lower bar with disdain and slithered under, hips swaying, then arched back upright on the other side. "Lower than you can handle," he purred at Dave. 

The blond yelped when Chloe smacked him before he could come up with a smart answer for that comment. 

"Rob, I don't think you could handle it either," Lana smiled, moving up to stand at Clark's side and watch the shortening line of contestants. Soon it was down to Lex and Dick with neither showing any sign of giving in. 

"Much as I hate to admit it," Bruce murmured to Clark, "Dick doesn't have a chance. I've sometimes wondered if Lex actually has bones or not." He watched as both men made it under again and the bar dropped lower still. 

Clark chuckled. "Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked Bruce before letting out a shout of glee when Lex passed under the height that had so far stymied Dick. 

"How could I fail with my own cheerleader?" Lex chuckled, taking a drink of water while watching Dick try again and fail. "Ha! Gotcha, Grayson!" he chortled, moving over to Clark's side, still barefoot and shirtless. 

"All hail the limbo king!" Clark laughed, bowing before Lex and then sweeping him into his arms for a kiss. "To the victor belong the spoils." 

"Mm, my favorite spoils," Lex replied, making no move to step out of Clark's arms. "What, only one kiss? I think my efforts deserve more than that." 

"Later, baby," Clark laughed. "We have a yard full of guests right now." 

"Yeah, no vanishing until we can too," Dick yelled over, pouting and rubbing his butt when Bruce refused to give him any sympathy. 

"Feel free to use a guestroom," Lex yelled back. "I'm sure Chloe would appreciate the opportunity to get some candid shots." He gave Dick an evil grin. 

"Maybe later," Dick yelped, shooting Chloe a worried glance. 

"Aw, come on, Dick, she'd only show them to a few hundred people," Clark grinned. 

"And put them up on the web," Dave added. 

"I could arrange for a franchise," Lex mused, smirking at the paling Dick. 

"Careful, Lex, or I'll share some pictures with her," Bruce put in, trying not to laugh as he drew Dick closer. 

"Really?" Chloe asked, her interest immediately piqued and focusing on Bruce, who suddenly looked worried. 

"You're going to be sorry," Lex snickered. 

"Bruce," Dick whined, "make them stop!" 

"Poor Dickie," Clark sighed. "So abused." 

"Only if Bruce is kinkier than I thought," Lex snickered. 

"Really?" Chloe wormed between Bruce and Dick, taking an arm of each man. "Do tell me more, gentlemen," she purred. 

"Lex!" Bruce threw him a desperate glance, making his friend clutch at Clark to keep from falling over as he laughed. 

"He's going to get you for that, you know," Clark murmured, chuckling quietly. "And you know who will have to save you." 

"Hell, I'm going to get you for that. Like Chloe needs another couple to obsess over!" Dave laughed. 

"At least they live in Gotham," Lex pointed out, grinning as he pulled Chloe away from the other couple and handed her to Dave. "Behave, blondie, or I'll revoke your press pass," he threatened, shoving a strawberry into her mouth. 

"Ooo, harsh, Lex!" Clark snickered as Chloe's eyes widened and her face turned red as she tried to eat the berry as quickly as possible. 

"C'mon, doll, I'll make you feel better," Dave leered, slinging his arm around her waist and pulling her toward the pool. 

"Anything you want, it's yours," a laughing Bruce called after them, hugging Dick and grinning at Lex and Clark. "You have the most interesting friends, Lex," he said, shaking his head as he helped himself to a strawberry from Lex's plate. 

"I decided that after meeting you, normality was beyond my reach," Lex smirked, shrugging back into his shirt but leaving it loose and remaining barefoot. 

"Normality was beyond reach the first time you went to Smallville," Clark murmured, hugging Lex close. 

"And I found something much better." Lex smiled at him fondly, his hand sliding into the back pocket of Clark's cut offs. "Normal is vastly overrated." 

"God, they're sappy," Dick muttered. 

"Hey, not our problem that you two are out of your honeymoon phase." 

"You two are honeymooning for the entire planet," Bruce retorted. 

"And several others!" Chloe yelled from the pool. 

"Jealousy will get you nowhere," Lex replied superciliously. "Ignore them, my darling," he said to Clark, hamming it up. 

"They only wish they had such a legendary love as ours," Clark agreed, batting his eyes at Lex. 

Dave groaned. "Thank God neither of you are going into acting; they'd run out of rotten tomatoes!" 

"But I'll do wonderfully in politics," Lex laughed, settling against Clark with his back to Clark's chest, letting Clark support him. "And I'll have an absolutely amazing love life." 

"And you'll be fed well too," Martha called from where she stood nearby at Jonathan's side. 

"I knew there was a reason I picked Clark. Since you won't leave Jonathan for me, Martha, this was the only way to get you." 

Clark pouted. "And here I thought you loved me!" 

"Well, that too," Lex admitted, turning in his arms to kiss him so thoroughly that Dave dumped a glass of water over their heads. 

"You're dead, Anders!" Clark howled, letting go of Lex to chase Dave around the yard, hurdling lawn chairs in an attempt to catch him. 

"Dumped again while my boyfriend chases a blond," Lex said sadly after patting his head dry. "It's a sad state of affairs. I think I need potato salad to console myself," he decided, turning around and then bursting into laughter when he nearly smacked into Martha, who was holding out a plate of potato salad, a huge grin on her face. 

"Well, Sheri will always love you," Chloe laughed as she rejoined them, looking around the yard for the dog. "Where is she, anyway?" 

"Beside Martha and the food," Lex said without looking, then frowned when Martha replied that she hadn't seen Sheri for a while. He looked around as well, not seeing the dog, then his eyes widened and he gasped when he saw that the gate was ajar. "What... Oh my god, those assholes must have left it open," he exclaimed, running for the gate and calling Sheri's name. 

"Lex?" Hearing the near panic in Lex's voice, Clark broke off chasing Dave and darted toward the gate, most of the party-goers close behind. "Oh shit, she got out." 

"We'll find her, Lex," Martha said soothingly. 

"But she's so small... a car could hit her." Lex turned white as he thought of the possibilities. He reached for Clark's hand desperately, frantic eyes darting in every direction as he called her again and again, praying to see her appear. 

"We'll find her," Clark swore, tightening his fingers on Lex's and hoping to calm him some. Squinting behind his sunglasses, he scanned the bushes and neighboring houses, hoping to see her hiding somewhere. 

"We should split up," Dick said, all business now. "She can't have gone far." 

"Anything could happen to her. She's never been on her own before," Lex whispered, clutching Clark's hand with desperate strength. "Clark? Do you see her anywhere?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down so no one else would hear, though the guests had scattered in every direction looking for Sheri. 

"Not yet, but that just means I haven't looked in the right place yet." Clark tried to speak calmly, but in truth he was as worried about Sheri as Lex - and about what it would do to Lex if something had happened to her. 

Lex tried to smile, but it was shaky. "I know we'll find her. She has to be somewhere nearby. She can't have gone far, and she'd have no reason to. God, what if..." He bit off what he was going to say. "We'll find her." 

Tightening his fingers around Lex's again, Clark kept scanning the houses and yards, until he finally spotted a dog's skeleton frolicking in and out of an ornamental pool behind a contemporary house. "Think I found her!" 

"Oh thank god!" Lex nearly outdistanced Clark as they ran toward where Clark had spotted her, and he sank to his knees and caught her up into his arms when Sheri bounded over to them as soon as they rounded the corner of the house. 

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Clark stood back, letting Lex assure himself that his dog was okay and getting himself soaked in the process. 

"Told you we'd find her," he murmured, squatting down beside Lex to stroke the dog's head. "She's got it too good with you to be gone for long." 

Lex was too busy murmuring into Sheri's soft fur to respond, his cheek pressed to the top of her head as he stood up with her in his arms and moved into Clark's embrace as soon as he straightened as well. 

"I acted like a complete lunatic, didn't I?" he sighed. 

"No." Clark hugged Lex tight, chuckling quietly as Sheri tried to lick both of them. "You acted like anyone who had ever lost a pet they loved. Feel up for going back now, or do you want to put on the cool Luthor face first?" 

"It's a bit late now," Lex sighed, still carrying Sheri as they started making their way back to the house. "And we need to let everyone know we found her so they can stop looking." He noticed that several people had already seen them with the dog and were heading back to their house as well. 

Clark nodded. "You okay to take her back in? I'll go round everyone else up." 

"Sure. I don't want this to ruin the party. We'll get everyone back and get things back on track... and make sure the damned gate is closed," Lex muttered, hugging Sheri to him. "Hurry back. You know we're half the entertainment," he added dryly, knowing that Clark's school friends still watched them, not sure what to think of Clark Kent with Lex Luthor. 

Clark leaned in and kissed the side of Lex's head. "Don't worry, I think today they're watching Bruce and Dick more than us. A few more hours and it'll be just down to family again. You can make it." 

"Want the family to go too," Lex muttered. "We don't need an audience for what I want to do." Most of his sulking was a put-on, but he really would have liked some time alone with Clark. Since that wasn't going to happen for a while, he decided that Clark should be as eager as he was and pressed close for a kiss, hips thrusting against Clark, careful to shift Sheri to the side so she didn't get crushed between them. 

Groaning, Clark pulled back, wishing he could pick Lex up and race him somewhere private for just a little while. "We can't kick my folks out, and you invited Bruce and Dick to stay with us," he sighed. "And then there's Enrique and Alfred... At least no one's staying in our room with us." 

"Thank god for locks on the bedroom doors!" Lex sighed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Bruce and Dick are going to be far more interested in each other than in whatever we happen to be doing. And neither Alfred nor Enrique wants to see what they know we're doing," he chuckled. "We'll just make up for lost time tonight." 

"Mom and Dad feel the same," Clark grinned. "And we'll just have to try to be quiet - so no torturing me, got it?" 

Lex pouted, managing not to laugh. "You never let me have any fun." 

"I know. I'm cruel and evil," Clark sighed, shaking his head. "How do you ever put up with me?" 

"I'm protecting the rest of the world from you," Lex replied virtuously, puffing out his chest. "No one else could survive your nefarious plans." 

"Yeah, I'd take over the world if it wasn't for you. Now go on back and save the guests." Snickering, Clark patted Lex on the ass before heading down the street to find the rest of the search party. 

Lex watched him walk away, then sighed and looked down at the dog in his arms. "I'm so owned. Good thing the two of you are willing to share with each other." He laughed when she licked his nose then shifted her, his arms complaining about the weight. He headed back into the yard, making sure the gate was securely closed behind him, and set her down, laughing when she made an immediate beeline for the table covered with food, hoping someone would give her a treat. 

"My dog is so easy," he chuckled. 

"Just like you, Lex," Dave snickered, though it was plain to see that he was relieved that Sheri had been found. 

"Huh! It takes more than a bit of cheese to buy my affections," Lex replied snobbily before chuckling. "Unless it's in Clark's hand, of course." 

"We know, dear," Martha smiled, bending down to pat Sheri's damp head and offer Lex a towel. "Though if it was potato salad..." 

"Only yours, Martha. And since you keep turning me down, Clark doesn't have to worry about me straying," Lex teased back. 

"Damn right!" Clark put in, having found the rest of the guests and brought them back. "If I was worried about that, I'd get an invisible fence put in." 

Lex's eyebrows rose. "You implying that I'm a pet? You and I are going to have words if so." 

As the others snickered, Clark shook his head quickly. "Pet? Of course not, Lex. You're my partner, not a pet." 

"Hrm." Lex eyed him. "Lucky for you I don't mind that possessive streak, lover. In fact, I think it's kinda hot." 

"God, there they go again. Should we all leave?" Dave groaned. 

"Yermph," Lex started to reply before Clark's hand clapped over his mouth. Not one to let an opportunity slide by, he licked the palm. 

Clark squirmed and dropped his hand from Lex's face as if he'd been burned. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starved," he said quickly, knowing he was blushing furiously. 

"Me too," Lex murmured, a wicked sparkle in his eyes. "Let's see if any of the steaks are ready yet and not burned to a cinder when the chef went dog-hunting." 

"As if Dad would let anything that he was grilling burn," Clark laughed, looking over to where his father was manning the grill. 

"Thank god he won the battle for head chef," Lex laughed. "I have no idea what Bruce was thinking. I've seen the man burn water! Alfred banned him from the kitchen years ago. I'm not even sure he's allowed to set foot in there." 

Bruce, who had returned with Dick a few moments before, simply looked down his nose at Lex, not deigning to reply. 

"That's okay, Bruce," Dick laughed, patting his arm. "You've got lots of other talents." 

"If that's what you call defending me," Bruce replied, regarding Dick in disgruntlement, "I'd hate to see what you'd call leaving me to my own devices." 

Lex snickered. "Dick may be in love with you, Bruce, but that can only go so far. You're a menace in the kitchen. Last time you visited me when I was in college, you managed to kill my kettle!" 

Bruce just sniffed, refusing to comment. 

Clark wisely remained quiet about Lex's own skills--or lack thereof--in the kitchen. 

"I'll make my lack of defense up to you later," Dick laughed, waggling his eyebrows at Bruce. 

Seeing Clark's barely hidden smirk, Lex decided it was time to change the subject. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather eat the food than talk about it." With a decisive nod, he headed for Jonathan, stopping only long enough to grab a plate from the end of the table near him. 

"Feed me?" he said plaintively. 

"One minute, someone's ahead of you," Jonathan answered, breaking up a burger he'd just pulled off the grill to cool it, then setting the plate on the ground for Sheri. 

Seeing this, Clark doubled over in laughter. "The Empress wins again." 

Lex groaned. "And everyone says I spoil her. Ha!" He shook his head, grinning down at the wagging tail of the dog happily scarfing down a burger. "Do you think I could get something to eat sometime today?" 

"Here, Lex." Shaking her head, Martha took the tongs from Jonathan's hand, plucked a steak from the grill, and placed it on a plate she had ready, then did the same for one for Clark. 

"Thanks, Mom!" Clark grinned, already digging into the baked beans. 

"Mmmhmm!" Lex agreed, mouth already full of potato salad, as he put the empty plate he'd picked up back on the table. Martha knew his favorites, and despite the ribs and several servings of potato salad he'd had earlier, she'd piled them on his plate, still determined after all these years to 'feed him up'. 

The party wore on into the late afternoon and evening, with the last of the guests finally leaving after midnight. Now that the group had dwindled to just family and close friends, Clark relaxed, collapsing into a lounge chair and pulling Lex onto his lap. "God, and we still have to clean this up," he groaned. 

"Are you insane?" Lex demanded. "Enrique has already arranged for a cleaning crew to come whenever we're done. All we have to do is get out of the way, and the food will find its way to the fridge, and everything else will be cleaned up." 

"Thank God." Letting his head fall back against the cushion behind him, Clark let out a sigh of relief. "It was fun though." 

Lex nodded. "Despite small-minded party crashers and temporarily lost dogs, yes, it was. I'm glad your friends came. You can't spend all your time with an older guy like me," he teased. 

"What if I want to spend all my time with an old guy like you?" 

Lex shook his head. "Nope, not healthy for a growing boy." Despite his joking, there was a kernel of seriousness. Clark did need to spend time with other people his own age, other students, so he would have a chance to become his own person, not that Lex really thought there was any danger of his strong-minded lover becoming a carbon copy of him. 

"God, you sound like my dad," Clark groaned, lifting his head slightly to assure himself that Jonathan was in the house where he and Martha had retired a while ago. 

"Argh, shoot me now!" Lex exclaimed in mock horror, making Bruce and Dick laugh. 

"I think we'll leave you two to your amusements... and go explore our own," Bruce chuckled. "Don't expect to see us before lunch tomorrow!" He rose to his feet, catching Dick's hand. 

"If we're up by then," Clark called to the other couple before tightening his arms around Lex's waist to keep him in place. "Our amusements, eh?" 

"Gee, I wonder what those could be?" Lex chuckled, a finger lightly tracing the leather strip lying over Clark's collarbone. 

"Sleeping? Eating? Going for a swim?" Clark suggested with a smile. 

"Making love till we can't stand up anymore and I can't sit down or walk straight tomorrow," Lex said firmly. "Think you can handle that?" 

"Oh yeah." Clark's grin widened. "Once we're locked in our bedroom anyway." 

"So why aren't we there yet?" Lex slid off his lap to his feet and backed away, crooking a finger at Clark. 

Following like--well, like Sheri at the end of a leash--Clark stood and trailed Lex into the house, turning off the outside lights and locking the door behind them once Sheri had followed them in. 

Lex headed straight for the stairs up to their room, amused that Clark had turned off the lights and locked the door when he knew a cleaning crew would be coming soon, but Lex knew that Enrique would take care of it. Lex's only concern just then was getting them into their bedroom so he could have what he'd been wanting for hours: Clark. 

Trailing him up the stairs, holding back when he simply wanted to pick Lex up and race to their room, Clark bumped into him, his erection rubbing against Lex's ass. 

Lex missed a step, his breath hitching, and he pressed back against Clark, his hands curling around the muscular thighs to pull him closer. "Want you in me tonight, Clark," he breathed, turning his head to the side to kiss Clark's throat. 

"Like that's ever a problem," Clark rasped, curving his arms around Lex's middle and pulling their bodies closer together as they took the last few steps and made it to their bedroom. 

Lex's arms rose to reach back around Clark's neck, his body arching and stretching, his cock already hard and needy. "Love you, want you, need you," he chanted, ass rocking against Clark's erection, teasing him. 

"Always," Clark gasped, giving in and carrying Lex the last few feet to the bed and pressing him down onto the quilt, licking the back of his head and nibbling at the nape of his neck. 

Lex writhed beneath the other man's weight, groaning hungrily. "Clothes," he rasped, wanting to feel the familiar heat of Clark's skin against his. 

Telling himself that simply ripping their clothes off wasn't a good idea, Clark managed to get them nude without shredding their garments or causing friction burns. He lowered himself on top of Lex again, rocking his groin into the older man's ass and rubbing his face against Lex's shoulders. "God, want you so bad." 

"Then take me," Lex panted, thrusting his ass upward, wanting to feel Clark possessing him. "I'm yours." His fists clenched in the sheets, and he groaned hungrily. 

Leaving the inferno heat of Lex's presence for barely a second as he grabbed the lube from the dresser drawer, Clark squeezed some onto his fingers and stretched him, wanting to take his time but needing Lex too much. When even that became too much for him, he slicked himself up and thrust inward, groaning as Lex took him easily. 

"Ahhhhh!" Lex let out a harsh groan of pleasure, his ass burning slightly as he stretched to accommodate Clark's bulk, a sensation that was as new and fantastic each time. He thrust upward, wanting more, one hand reaching under himself to grasp his cock. "God, yes, move," he demanded. 

"Everything. Always," Clark gasped, leaning his weight onto his hands and rocking into Lex's body, knowing that no matter where they were, this was home. 

Lex met every thrust, his hand moving rapidly on himself, unable to take it slow and easy this time. He wanted Clark too much, had been teasing himself with images of this for the last several hours while they chatted with family and friends, and he needed to come now. 

Feeling Lex tense under him, Clark knew this wasn't going to last, but he didn't care. He snapped his hips forward, rubbing his cock against Lex's prostate, his own body singing for release. 

Lex's eyes widened as Clark nudged the gland inside him, and he cried out hoarsely. He tensed, trembling on the brink, and when Clark did it again, he screamed Clark's name and came hard, body clenching down on the thick cock inside him and come covering his fist. 

"God, Lex, there," Clark moaned, his own orgasm shooting from him as he felt Lex come apart around him. Feeling drained of all energy, he rested his head against Lex's back, pressing a kiss against the older man's spine. "Love you." 

"Love you too," Lex murmured, smiling into the pillows. "God, I needed that. Being around you for hours and having to behave is hell. I wanted to throw you over the table a few times." 

Rolling off Lex and onto his back, Clark pulled the other man into his arms and chuckled. "Now that might have been a bit much for the people at the party to take." 

"Your dad would gave gone looking for that shotgun," Lex agreed, laughing. "Which is about the only reason why I didn't. Well, that and I knew I had this to look forward to." He curled into his favorite position on top of Clark and tucked his head beneath Clark's chin. 

"And have it to look forward to every night of the rest of our lives." 

"God, I love the sound of that." Lex stroked Clark's chest, practically purring with contentment. "All mine," he murmured, smug satisfaction in his tone. 

"And got the collar to prove it," Clark sighed. 

"We both do. Actually, I'm double collared," Lex pointed out, rubbing his leather-wrapped wrist against Clark's shoulder to illustrate his point. "Guess possessiveness comes naturally to Kryptonians... or at least Clarks," he chuckled. 

Clark laughed quietly as well. "At least when it comes to Lexes anyway." 

"We really are the perfect pair." Lex raised his head to smile down at him. "Who else would put up with either of us?" 

"I really don't want to think about that." 

Lex petted him soothingly. "Doesn't matter anyhow 'cause I'd never let you go. Even if we didn't have this bond, I'd still need you. I love you." 

Clark relaxed back onto the bed, shaking his head at his reaction - or overreaction. "You love me enough to open our home to a bunch of crazy college kids. Damn, that's a lot." 

"Don't remind me," Lex groaned. "My reputation will never be the same. Yesterday, I was Lex Luthor, ruthless corporate magnate, feared by all. Today I'm Lex Luthor, potato-salad-eating wimp who's wrapped around his dog's furry little paw, some kind of, of, cuddly corporate raider!" he finished in disgust. 

Clark burst into laughter at that remark, rolling Lex off of him and holding his sides when they started aching. "Cuddly - cuddly - oh, God, you still need a t-shirt that says that!" 

"I think not!" Lex replied, insulted and cursing himself for bringing it up. He suddenly remembered why that expression had popped into his mind. Clark had come up with it a couple of years earlier, and Lex had managed to distract him and make him forget about it and the t-shirt he'd teased Lex about. Now it was his own fault if Clark really got him one. He sat up, glaring down at the chortling buffoon in his bed. "You're going to end up on the couch if you keep it up, Kent," he warned direly. 

"Hmmm, Christmas isn't too far away," Clark mused. "Or maybe Halloween..." 

"Clark! No!" Lex exclaimed emphatically. "That is not part of my image!" 

Managing to stop laughing, Clark turned the full force of his pout on his defenseless lover. "Not even for me, Lexy?" he crooned. 

Lex crossed his arms and glared, refusing to answer. He knew full well that Clark could get him to do anything, even that, but damned if he was going to admit to it. 

Nodding in satisfaction, Clark grinned. "Halloween it is." 

"Fuck," Lex groaned. "You are an evil man, Clark Kent," he grumbled. "Just you wait. When you least expect it, I'll get you back for this!" 

Closing his eyes, Clark pulled Lex to him again. "Sure you will, Lex. I believe you." 

"I am so whipped," Lex muttered even as his body softened, relaxing on top of Clark. 

"And you love it." 

Lex just grumbled, though he pressed a kiss to the warm, bare flesh beneath his cheek. 

Clark smiled and reached for the bedside light, turning it off. "Night, Lex. Love you." 

"Love you too. Brat." 

"You're calling me names. I'm gonna tell my mom on you." 

"She'd agree," Lex snorted. "She's known you for years. Now go to sleep." 

"Yes sir, oh cuddly one," Clark snickered. 


End file.
